Letters

Here is the series of letters. Note the dates: the first two, to the pastor, were written in 2006; I received no response to either of those, and did not pursue the issue with the bishop. I only resumed my efforts in 2012, when the handbell concert threatened to (and succeeded) add insult to injury with regard to the misuse of the sanctuary.

October 11, 2006

Fr. Julian,

I know that the concert by Mary’s mother has been in the works for some time, and you would not be able to change it without causing a lot of hard feelings. I’m NOT asking you to do that!

However, I’m enclosing some information about concerts in a sacred place so that in the future you can consider more fully the position the Church takes on this issue.

I am very much in favor of promoting and encouraging cultural events such as this. But I do think it is also necessary to always show due respect and reverence to the sacredness of the Cathedral. It is my belief that by sticking with an authentic and faithful interpretation of the requirements set forth by the Vatican, we can foster a deeper understanding of that sacredness in the faithful of our parish. We are, after all, a Catholic church, aren’t we?

I hope you will take this note in the spirit in which it is intended: one of informing, rather than criticizing; one of concern rather than condemnation.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely in Christ,

 Jay Boyd

[I enclosed some general information about the document “Concerts in Churches”]

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November 12, 2006

Fr. Julian,

In October, I sent you some information regarding concerts in a sacred place. I know that both the CASA concert and the upcoming La Grande symphony concert have been planned for some time. However, I am hoping that for future requests to hold concerts in the Cathedral, you might make a decision that is more faithful to the mind of the Church.

The upcoming symphony performance is even more problematic than the CASA concert because of the admission fee. The declaration on "Concerts in Churches" published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments in November 1987 (Protocol No. 1251/87) states explicitly in paragraph 10(c):

Entrance to the church must be without payment and open to all.

This document also emphasizes the importance of always showing due respect and reverence to the sacredness of the Cathedral. In the same paragraph, it stipulates the following:

d. The performers and the audience must be dressed in a manner which is fitting to the sacred character of the place.

e. The musicians and the singers should not be placed in the sanctuary. The greatest respect is to be shown to the altar, the president's chair and the ambo.

f. The Blessed Sacrament should be, as far as possible, reserved in a side chapel or in another safe and suitably adorned place (Cf. C.I.C., can 928, par. 4).

It is my belief that by sticking with an authentic and faithful interpretation of the requirements set forth by the Vatican, we can foster a deeper understanding of that sacredness in the faithful of our parish.

I hope you will take this note in the spirit in which it is intended: one of informing, rather than criticizing; one of concern rather than condemnation.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely in Christ,

Jay Boyd

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September 22, 2012

Your Excellency:

I wish to express to you my ardent desire that St. Francis de Sales Cathedral become, as it should be, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Baker. In the nine years I’ve lived in Baker City, I have seen a serious decline in the Catholic identity of the Cathedral parish. I beg you to take steps to begin the renewal of the sense of dignity the Cathedral once engendered, and the restoration of its right to serve as a center for diocesan liturgical events, such as ordinations.

One fairly easy way to begin this renewal would be to cultivate a sense of what the Cathedral is, and what it is not. For instance, the on-line bulletin of the Cathedral parish announces this event:

Handbell recital – on Saturday December 22, a great Christmas Handbell recital will be held in the Cathedral at 1 PM. You don’t want to miss this recital which will leave you fascinated at the dexterity and artistry of Phyllis Tincher, handbell soloist, who will perform a collection of Christmas hymns, carols and melodies... For more information, please visit their website at ww.ringpraiseministry.org …With the beauty of the Cathedral at Christmas time, especially with the Christmas decorations, this promises to be a much anticipated Christmas concert.

A Cathedral, of course, is not be used as merely a beautiful backdrop for what is basically a secular event presented by Protestants who see themselves as “ministering” to those who attend the concert. In addition, the event will occur on the day before the Fourth Sunday of Advent; there shouldn’t even be Christmas decorations, nor a festive celebration preceding the Christmas season! (Admittedly, and sadly, most Baker City Catholics would not even be aware of this issue, much less care about it.)

Besides the handbell recital, there are usually 2 or 3 other events per year at the Cathedral which violate the clear norms established for the use of churches for non-liturgical concerts. If only we could restore a sense of the sacred nature of the Cathedral, and a corresponding sense of reverence to go along with it!

Your Excellency, this issue of the misuse of the Cathedral is a source of on-going concern and anguish for me. I truly believe it reflects the diminishing Catholic identity in the parish and in the diocese. Other churches are also used inappropriately; to wit, a few weeks ago an organ recital was held in the “new” St. Francis Church in Bend; secular music was to be included in the program, and other norms for non-liturgical concerts in a church were also violated.

Renewing and restoring the prominence of the Cathedral in this diocese could prove to be a pivotal step in renewing and restoring the Catholic identity of the diocese. I hope you will consider taking steps to do so. Perhaps a start could be made by asking the rector of the Cathedral to move the handbell recital to the parish hall. And looking into the next year, perhaps measures could be taken to correct the official date of the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral, and encourage a diocesan-wide observation of the feast.

I know you have many things to think about in your role as our bishop, and I appreciate your taking the time to consider my concerns…which I believe reflect the concerns of Holy Mother Church.

My prayers are with you on a daily basis.

In Christ,

Jay Boyd, Ph.D.

[I received a response from the bishop which stated, “I received your letter regarding the use of the Cathedral in Baker City. I will keep your thoughts in mind as I consider this important matter in the year ahead.” That is the sum total of the body of the letter.]

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November 6, 2012

Your Excellency:

In my previous letter addressing my concerns with the handbell recital scheduled to take place in the Cathedral in December, I mentioned that there are usually 2 or 3 other events per year at the Cathedral which violate the clear norms established for the use of churches for non-liturgical concerts. One such event is scheduled for Saturday, November 10th: a concert presented by the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra from La Grande.

This concert has taken place annually at the Cathedral for a number of years. There are several major problems with the way the concert is presented, which is not in accord with a declaration on "Concerts in Churches" published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments in November 1987 (Protocol No. 1251/87). I’ve attached a Zenit article that cites some of the paragraphs of that declaration; the full text of the document is available at http://www.adoremus.org/concerts.html.

First, the orchestra, while producing a performance of high quality with beautiful music, does not play sacred or religious music exclusively. The document states (my emphases):

The principle that the use of the church must not offend the sacredness of the place determines the criteria by which the doors of a church may be opened to a concert of sacred or religious music, as also the concomitant exclusion of every other type of music. The most beautiful symphonic music, for example, is not in itself of religious character. The definition of sacred or religious music depends explicitly on the original intended use of the musical pieces or songs, and likewise on their content…(paragraph III.8.)

Second, the musicians have always been seated in the sanctuary. The document states unequivocally that, “The musicians and the singers should not be placed in the sanctuary” (paragraph III.10.e.). This photo aptly illustrates the problem.  [I inserted a photo similar to the one in the post above.]

Third, an announcement in the local newspaper says that tickets are available at a local bookstore or “at the door”. This, too, is expressly prohibited by the document I’ve cited, which says, “Entrance to the church must be without payment and open to all.” (paragraph III.10.c.).

I have also attached a letter I sent to Fr. Julian Cassar about these same issues in 2006. Fr. Cassar never answered my letter or addressed my concerns in any way, nor has he changed the way in which the concerts are presented for the past six years.

As I mentioned in my previous letter to you, I wish also to express my ardent desire that St. Francis de Sales Cathedral become, as it should be, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Baker. I beg you to take steps to begin the renewal of the sense of dignity the Cathedral once engendered.

Sincerely in Christ,

Jay Boyd, Ph.D.

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November 28, 2012

Your Excellency:

I am writing to ask that you act to prevent any further misuse of the sanctuary of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, specifically with regard to the seating of musicians in that sacred space for concerts held in the Cathedral.

In a previous letter (November 6, 2012), I addressed the issue of the annual concert given by a group from La Grande. I provided you with a photo of previous concerts. I have attached a photo of the concert of November 10 which appeared on the parish website. Obviously, the practice of seating musicians in the sanctuary continues to be the standard here.

In my letter to you dated September 22, 2012, I mentioned that a “handbell recital” is scheduled to take place at the Cathedral on December 22. It will take place in the Cathedral, and it is quite likely that the performer will ring her bells from within the sanctuary. It is doubtful that she will be performing sacred music, given the titles on her CDs. These issues, of course, are addressed in the publication “Concerts in Churches” which I attached to my previous letter to you. It is stated explicitly that musicians should not be seated in the sanctuary, and that only sacred music should be performed.

I implore you, Bishop Cary, to take the appropriate steps to bring the Cathedral parish into conformity with official norms by instructing Fr. Julian Cassar to hold this recital in the parish hall. The hall has a stage which will make the performer easily visible to the attendees, and is really a much more suitable venue for a “handbell recital” than the sanctuary of the Cathedral.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely in Christ,

Jay Boyd, Ph.D.

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Here's the letter I received from the CDW: